CORTINA D’AMPEZZO – A stone-faced Brett Gallant put his arms on the coach’s bench and looked up at the grandstand at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium.
A 7-6 loss to Sweden on Sunday afternoon had all but eliminated him and mixed doubles partner Jocelyn Peterman from playoff contention. A 9-5 loss to South Korea in the evening would seal it.
There were no obvious answers for a husband and wife who were expecting much more at the Winter Games.
“It kind of sucks because we had it in our hands this morning,” said Canadian coach Scott Pfeifer. “So if we’d won out, we knew we were in the playoffs.”
Reminders of what could have been were all around.
Gallant glanced at the spectators chanting “U-S-A!! U-S-A!!” as the playoff-bound Korey Dropkin walked behind him. Moments earlier, the home crowd roared as Italy’s Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner delivered another win.
Instead of thinking about potential celebration and Olympic glory, Gallant stood in silence as the pockets of dejected Canadian fans made their way to the exits.
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The Sweden loss was the real dagger, leaving Canada a longshot chance of making the top-four cut. With a dejected Peterman sitting on the coach’s chair, Pfeifer took out his phone right after the defeat and checked the updated online standings.
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Two Canadian wins and two Italian losses would be needed for Gallant and Peterman to make it. Gallant grimaced knowing the odds were stacked against them.
A few hours later, Canada’s losing streak was up to five and all four playoff teams – host Italy, the U.S., Great Britain and Sweden – were locked in.
“We wanted to get on the podium,” Gallant said after the South Korea loss, as Peterman wiped tears nearby. “It was our goal and it hurts.”
Seonyeong Kim and Yeongseok Jeong scored three points in the fourth end for a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Canada had a chance for a game-tying three in the eighth but the Canadians couldn’t clear the opposing stones on Peterman’s double-runback attempt.
“This one is going to hurt for a little while,” Gallant said.
Canada will close out its schedule Monday against Switzerland.
Earlier, Rasmus Wrana and Isabella Wrana scored three points in the seventh end and held Canada to a single in the eighth for the win.
The semifinals are scheduled for Monday night and the medal games are set for Tuesday.
Gallant and Peterman, from Chestermere, Alta., were rolling at the start of this competition with three straight victories. They beat Czechia, Norway and Italy, outscoring their opponents 23-10.
Close defeats to the United States and Great Britain followed. A loss to Estonia preceded Sunday’s knockout blow.
“When it snowballs and you lose a couple, it’s really tough to get over that hump and out on the other side,” Pfeifer said.
Canada’s John Morris and Kaitlyn Lawes won gold at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea when mixed doubles made its Olympic debut. Canada missed the playoffs four years later in Beijing when Morris teamed with Rachel Homan.
While there is more international parity in mixed doubles than four-player team play, expectations are always high for Canada.
“It’s probably the strongest field we’ve ever played against,” Gallant said. “I mean it’s the top 10 teams in the world and we knew that coming in. There’s been a ton of athletes and teams that have been on world and Olympic podiums. It’s really strong.
“Kudos to the teams that are playing well.”
Gallant will soon shift focus to his men’s team that begins play Wednesday. His Calgary-based rink skipped by Brad Jacobs will represent Canada while Homan’s Ottawa-based side will wear the Maple Leaf in women’s team play.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 8, 2026.
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